Graphic recorder.



G. B. THWING. GRAPHIC RECORDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1913.

Patented Dec. 1,1914

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.;

IIII III Ill G. B. THWING. GRAPHIC RECORDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAILZI, 1913.

Patented Dec. 1 1914.

' ings, in which UN T D STATES rAT T OFFICE,

CHARLES R. TIIWIN oF-PHILAD PHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIoNoR To THWING INSTRUMENT ComrA Y, F P I LADELPHIA, PE NSYLVA IA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

" GRAPHIC RECORDER.

Application filed March 21, 1913. I Serial No. 755,943.

15, One object of the present invention is to facilitate the application of ink to the penof the recorder, as well asfto make more certain the engagement with, or the opera- 'tive positioning of a plurality of pens relatively to achart, when several pens are actuated by a single depressor mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a graphic recorder having the above noted characteristics, which shall be relatively substantial and inexpensive, as well as reliable under operating conditions.

- These objects and other advantageous ends I secure-as hereinafter set forth, refer ence being had to the accompanying draw- Figure 1, is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating agraphic recorder constructed according to my invention; Fig: 2, isa plan of'the mechanismiillustrated in Y 35 Fig. 1, and, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of a slightly modified detaiL As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the essential features of an instrument designed to provide a graphic record of the variations of any measured quantity with the time, consist of a'registering element and a surface receiving the record made'by said element; the latter moving in a given direction with the time'ywhile the former remains in operative relation with the recording'surface either constantly, or

in cases where the energy is relatively small, is brought into contact with said surface at intervals. A i

Inthe following description, the record- -ing element will hereafter be referred to as the pen, and the receiving element which cooperates therewith, the chart- I v I Referringto the above drawings, 1 and '1' represent. galvanometers or other instru- B. THwINe,

the chart to form the 'ture,'such as the frame of t V having an arm-carrying a counterwelght 17. The portion "of the lever between the pivot ments having movable indicating members consisting in the present instance of oscillatory needles 2 and 2 in the form of rela- Speoiflcation of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 1,1914. I

tively elongated wires provided'with chartengag ng points or, portions 3 and constltuting the pens. Said ens are so sup ported that in addition to eing free to o'scillate in a plane under the action of the galvanometers of which they form. parts, their outer or free ends may be caused to' 'move in" planes or lines substantially at rightanglesto said first-named plane, by mechanism hereinafter described, being sufiiciently elastic or supported in suchmanner as to return to positions in the first plane after'being moved out of the same.

The chart in the presentinstance is propaper passing over a substantially horizontal roller 5,which is driven at a redetermined suitable speed from a cloc 6; the connection betweenv these members being provided by pulley wheels '1 and 8, of which the first is driven from the clock mechanism, and the second is fixed to the s indle of the roller 5. A belt 9 connects said two which is pivoted a pair of downwardly extending arms 13 carrying and connected by any suitable form of ink pad 14, which'in the present instance extends substantially parallel with a line "of the surface of the roll 5- and immediately adjacent the top thereof. The pad in the present instance consists of an elongated relatively shallow container of substantiallythe length-of the I roll 5, carrying a body of absorbent material 7 saturated with ink or any other fluid which it is desired shall be applied by the "ens-to aphic recor .vided by an elongated-sheet or web 4 of ing ink to the por- One of'the arms 13" as an extension 14' below and to one side of the roll '5 designed for co-action with an elongated ,armof a lever 15 pivoted'at, 16 to any desired struce clock 6, and

its

I 16 and the weight 17 includes a downwardly that its upwardly extending arm through the extension 14; swings the arms- .mary pen depressor.

extending tooth 18 designed to cofiperate with the teeth of a ratchet wheel 19 driven at a predetermined speed by the mechanismof the clock 6; the arrangement of parts being such that as this ratchet wheel is turned, the lever 15 is moved on its pivot so 13 on their pivots 13, thus'alternately moving the ink pad 14 to a position immediately over the topmost part of the chart 4 and'the" roller 5, directly under the portions 3 of the pens ,2 and 2, and thereafter permittin said ad to swing away from the chart an roller so as to allow of said ortions 3 being moved into engagement wit ll said chart to make records thereon, I

Supportedin any suitable manner above the pens 2and 2 is a spindle 21 extending in a line substantially parallel with the axis of the roll 5 and having loosely mounted on it, adjacent its ends, projecting arms 22 which are connected by a bar 23 constituting a pri- One of saidarms is connected through a link 24 with one end of a second lever ,25 pivoted'at 26 to any suit- .able supporting structure such, as the frame .of the clock 6 and at Its opposite end is provided with a counter-weight 27 This lever' .25 has a downwardly projecting tooth 28 'designed to cooperate with the teeth of a ratchet wheel fixed on the spindle 20, which as before noted, also carries the toothed wheel 19. The second ratchetwvheel, however, is peculiar in thatits alternate teeth are only about two-thirds as high as the remainder, with the result that as said wheel is turned, the lever 25. is first caused to move the link 24 through a predetermined distance and is; thereafter caused to move it through a greater distance. As a consequence the primary depressor 237 is allowed to swing downwardly from its normal position through a short are and after being rathersud enly lifted, is again allowed to swing downwardly through a longerarc, being" ereafter agam suddenly'returned to its position;

The spindle 21'se1'ves to loosely support a .plurality 'of secondary depressor arms 29,

each of which includes a sleeve 30loosely mounted onsaid spindleand having fixed. .to its ends, two parallelarms connected by cross member 31 of such lengthand so placedabove the endsof the' 'p'ens 2" and 2 that, when it 1s .,al1owed to descend :under the action of. avlty, it engages the ,particular pen name telvunderfit, forcing the portin; 3 thereofunto ;.e,n 'gagement"-w ith, the c a v H From Fig.1 it Willbe noted that the primary de ressor extends immediately under both of v e' secondary depressors-29 and 29 ,and the is such that when it is permittin raised" under action-of the lever 25, it

carries with it both of the secondary de-' pressors 29 and29, whileswhen' itxielow ered, :it permits saidsecondary depressors to descend under the action of gravity; causing their ortions 31 to force their respective pens into engagement with the chart 4.

In the particular case illustrated the galvanometers 1 and L are millivoltmeters connected in circuit with thermocouples so that the pens oscillate in accordance with --variations in the tem eratures to which said'couples are exposed? Theclockl6 being wound,

vturns the spindle 20 withthe ratchet wheels 19 and 29s, and drives the pulley wheel 7, causing the chart 8 :to move at aipredeten mined speed by the revolution of the roller 5.

.As the ratchet wheel 19 is turned inthe I direction of the arrow Fig. 1. one of its teeth engages the tooth 18 of the lever 15,, swinging this latter on its pivot or fulcrum lever 25 is at its lowestpositio'n ready to .ride upon one of the higher-teeth, with the primary depressor 23 and both of, the secondary depressors intheir-raised positions,

just before the tooth 18 falls from the highest part of one of the teeth of the ratchetwheel 19. The portions 3 of the :two pens are thus elevated so that the ink/pad 14 is free to assume the above noted posltion, and immediately after so doing, the tooth 28 is raised by engagement with one of the shorterteeth of the ratchet wheel 29. The primary depzessor isthus lowered,.thereby.

th of the secondary depressors to descen -into engagement with their re spective-pens 2; and ,2andforcing their portlons 3 into engagement with the ink pad in.

the container 14. Suflicient ink is thus ap';

plied to thepens'to make one or more mar on the chart. 4 I v It isto-be noted cupied by two adjacent teeth of the ratchet wheel 29 is substantially equal to the angu- 14 still occupies its operative position by reason of the relatively slow movement of' the lever 15,v the tooth 28 falls ofi-of the short tooth of the ratchet wheel 29, causing the primary depressor 28 to raise both of the secondary de ressors, which as above noted,

have been a1 owed to independently depress elevated thulq icklymo ing the or that the angular are 0 lar are occupied: by one. of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 19, so that while the ink pad the desired time by reason oftheir v elasticity or of their unequal heights a ove bring them into engagement withthe chart- 4, making certain marks thereon depending upon the positions of the pens. Obviously the length of time of this engagement between the pens and the chart may be varied to secure any desired form of dot or dash record, by varying the design of the teeth of the ratchets 19 and 29, or as shown in Fig. 3 by inserting more than one high tooth between each two short teeth. In this latter case each pen is causedto twice come into' engagement with the chart between each inking, though in any event this depression of the several pens causes a graphic record y.

to be made by each of them upon the chart 4, which as before noted, is"moved at any desired speed by the clock mechanism through the medium of the pulleywheels 7 and 5 and the belt 9. Thereafter the tooth 28. of the lever 25 falls ofl' of the high tooth of the ratchet 29. thus quickly swinging upward the primary depressor 23, which in turn raises the secondary depressors 29 and 29. The two pens 2 and-2 are so supported and constructed that their recording por-' tions 3 rise high enough to be out of engagement with the chart, and occupy positions such that the ink pad 14 may be swung under them when another tooth of the ratchet l9engages the tooth -18 of the lever 15.

' Iam thus enabled to allow the circuits of the galvanometers 1 and 1 to remain continuously closed, so that the respective pens of these instruments are always in positions determined by the quantities of energy being measured .at any particular moment. Moreover, the ink. pad is alternately moved into a position such that all of the pens may. be brought into engagement with it and is then so moved as to permit said pens coming into engagement with the chart'one or any number of times to form graphic records thereon as may be desired.

It is of course obvious that any desirednumber of galvanometers orother 'instru-. ments capable of actuating recording. .pens' may be employed without departing ,from my invention, especially since by reason of the novel construction above described, there is no possibility of the pens failin to be brought into engagement with thee art at mg said chart. In any case, each pen has its own secondary depressor, and all of the secondary depressors are controlled by a primary depressor, so that each pen is depressed to cooperate with the chart independently of all of the others. In the intervals while the depressors are not in operation, the pens are obviously free to assume posit-ions corresponding to the quantities of current or said structure; an ink carrier; means for periodically interposing said carrier between the pen and the chart, and means for actuat ing the pen to form a record, the same consisting of a primary depressor; means for' actuating said depressor; with a secondary.

depressor controlled by the primary depressor and operative on the pen.

2. The combination in a graphic recorder of a chart supporting structure; a pen for forming a record on a chart carried by the structure; an ink carrier; means for peri odically interposing said carrier betweenthe pen and the chart, a gravity-actuated secondary depressor for moving the pen into operative osition; and a primary depressor for perio ically moving the secondary depressor.

3. The combinationin a graphic recorder of a chartsupport ing structure; a plurality of pens independently mounted to form records on a chart carried by said structure;

I and means for actuating said pens consisting of a series of independent secondary depressors respectively operative on the pens;

with a primary de ressor for controlling the operation of all 0 the secondary depressors. 4. The combination in a graphic recorder "of a chart supporting structure; a plurality of pens independently mounted to form records on a chart carried by said structure; a

series of independent, gravity-actuated depressors mounted to respectively de ress the pens; a primary depressor contro ling the operation of all of the secondary depressor's; and mechanism for periodically actuating .said primary depressor.

' 5. The combination 111 a graphic recorder of a chart supportin structure; a plurality ofpens mounted to orm records on a chart carried by saidstructure; an inking device for *said pens; independent secondary depressors for respectively actuating the pens;

a primary depressor for controlling the secondary depressors; and mechanism for periodically moving the inking device into posi tion to supply ink'to the pens when they are depressed under predetermined conditions.

6. The combination in a graphic recorder of a chart Supporting structure; a pluralityv of instrument-actuated pens ,mounted to form records on a chart carried by said structure; and means for causing the pens to form records on a chart carried by said structure, the same consisting of a'series of arms; bars respectively carried by-said arms :and respectively extending over the pens to form secondary depressors; a primary de.

pressor in the form of a. bar -extending adac ent all of said arms; and means for periodlcally moving said bar to cause it to simul-- taneously move all of the secondary depressors.

In testimony whereof, I have signed, my

name to thisspecification, in the presence of 

